AhlulBayt News Agency: The United Nations has strongly condemned Israel’s recent raid on the headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees, located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied al-Quds.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday denounced the unauthorized raid, stressing that the compound is UN property and protected under international law.
Guterres declared, “I strongly condemn today’s unauthorized entry into the United Nations Sheikh Jarrah compound held by UNRWA… It is immune from any other form of interference.”
He emphasized that actions against UN premises are strictly prohibited under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for Guterres, reiterated the demand for Israel to respect the inviolability of UNRWA facilities and to refrain from further violations of international obligations.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, condemned the raid as a direct challenge to international law.
He explained that Israeli police, accompanied by municipal officials, forcibly entered the compound, seized furniture and IT equipment, and cut off all communications. Reports indicated that the UN flag was replaced with an Israeli flag during the incident.
Lazzarini added that the raid followed months of harassment against UNRWA, including arson attacks and a disinformation campaign, further intensified by recent anti-UNRWA legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset.
The al-Quds Governorate, affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, stated that Israeli police entered the compound, detained its security guards, and confiscated their phones.
The compound, which had served as an UNRWA office since 1951, was vacated earlier this year following an Israeli decision.
The raid occurred just two days after the UN General Assembly voted to renew UNRWA’s mandate for three more years, with 151 countries in favor, 10 opposed, and 14 abstaining.
Israel has banned UNRWA from operating in the occupied territories, accusing some of its staff of involvement in the al-Aqsa storm operation in October 2023.
Despite repeated requests from UNRWA for Israel to provide evidence supporting these allegations, the agency has received no response.
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